03/12/2011

Environmental Work Day

The family participated in an environmental work day today helping to clean, paint and repair a local school. This was a coordinated effort between Chris' company and the company they work for to give something back to the community.

We drove about an hour out toward the plant where the school is located. It is evidently housed in an old mining camp. The school has grades 1 through 7 with I think they said 4 teachers. We and the rest of the volunteers cleared out and painted 4 classrooms and a kitchen.

Concreted in the wellhead so they didn't have to pump their water standing in mud, put in a soccer pitch, added some playground equipment, replaced many broken glass windows and repaired the tin roof where it was leaking. And added a huge picnic table so the kids have somewhere to sit while they eat their lunch outside.

Chris and I spent our time working in one of the classrooms painting and cleaning up. Surprising what a difference a little paint can make to such a simple room. I think the last time these rooms were painted had to be before it became a school, there was only an inch of grime on the window sills. And I only encountered 3 small spiders trying to run from the brush.
I know these kids will be so surprised to see the rooms. I will probably wear my paint splatters for a few days at least, as it's not wanting to come off even with a good scrubbing. Oh well, and here I thought I wouldn't have to do any more painting for a couple of years. Silly me.
They fed us breakfast when we got there as we showed up at 7am, and started at 8. We worked until 12:30 and then they gave us lunch.

The kids mostly occupied themselves trying out the new playground equipment and made good use of the bouncy castles the team provided for the event. But even Quinn got in the spirit and decided to do a little clean up of his own. Anyone need their driveway swept? He works cheap.

The school doesn't have running water, nor proper toilets. They brought in bottled water for us and porta loos. So that makes me wonder what the kids do every day?
On the way back home I wondered if any kid in school in the states has ever thought how fortunate they are to have nice warm, clean classrooms with toilets and water fountains to aid the process of learning. Or if they have ever thought how fortunate they are simply to be able to have a school to go to.